Aston Villa are sitting top of the Champions League table.
Who would have thought it? Not even the most ardent of Aston Villa fans expected such a start because it has been incredible.
It might only last 24 hours because Wednesday’s Champions League fixtures are yet to be played, but Villa’s 2-0 win over Bologna means that they are the only team with a 100% start so far.
Everything is going well, both in Europe and the Premier League, as well as key players returning from injury as the fans saw against Bologna.
Tyrone Mings was given a warm welcome by the Villa fans after being named in the matchday squad for the first time since August 2023 and Boubacar Kamara came off the bench in the second half.
But whilst you get good news from one end, there is always a worry at the other.
Why Unai Emery subbed off Amadou Onana during Aston Villa’s win over Bologna
At the half-time break, Emery subbed off Amadou Onana, with Ross Barkley coming on in his place.
This isn’t the first time Villa’s club-record transfer has been taken off, and that at half-time, because it also happened against his former club.
Whilst Emery shared that it was partly a ‘tactical decison’, he also provided a potential injury worry and how the player ‘had some pain’, as he posted by BBC Sport.
“Tactical decision but as well he had some pain,” said Emery about Onana’s sub. “Not clear. I decided tactically and also not to take a risk with him.”
What Onana did after the full-time whistle
It hasn’t been disclosed where or what is causing Onana pain, but he didn’t seem to show it after the full-time whistle.
It now seems the norm for the player, after a Villa win, to throw those old Jurgen Klopp-style fist bumps to the crowd as they cheer at every single one.
Onana did that again after the full-time whistle against Bologna and he seemed to be in a positive mood.
But even if Onana can’t make it for the Bournemouth game at the weekend, you have got Barkley chomping at the bit to start and Kamara back in action.
